‘WYFL’ Riddim Producer DJ Mac Says He Has ‘No Luck’ With Older Dancehall Artists

Jason ‘DJ Mac’ McDowell currently has the hottest juggling project in the streets with the WYFL riddim, but the producer admits that the “energy” shifts when he attempts to bridge the gap with more established artists.

Speaking on the Let’s Be Honest podcast with host Jaii Frais, Mac revealed that while he remains open to working with older artists, the sessions often sour when he attempts to provide creative direction.

“Me nah ‘ave no luck with big artist,” he said, before explaining that his preference for younger talent isn’t a lack of respect but a matter of professional chemistry. “Me rather fi grow with the youth dem. Me rather fi grow with the young artist.  Me rather fi buss young artist.  It’s a part of my thing.”

Mac said that veterans often feel entitled to respect based on tenure rather than current market relevance. “Mi prefer fi work with them [the youth]. Nuff ah di older man them [they] nuh really want to hear what you have to say.”

He added that even when an established artist agrees to a collaboration, they often exclude the producer from the recording process, preferring to “voice it by themselves” or in the company of their friends. “Them nah call yuh for come at the studio session,” the producer said.

Mac recounted a specific fallout with a well-known artist from the “Trap era” who sent him a demo for review. When Mac offered honest feedback, the relationship soured immediately.

“Mi say, ‘Bro, this is not it,’” he recalled telling the artist. The artist reportedly told him to “listen to the song five more time and call me back.” Mac never made the call. And the artist later accused him of taking his career for a joke, a reaction Mac attributes to a desire for “yes men” rather than producers who understand why certain records aren’t translating to modern audiences.

The WYFL project, co-produced with CrashDummy and featuring a heavy-hitting 2026 roster including Chronic Law, Skippa, and Valiant, serves as Mac’s proof of concept. He told Jaii Frais that the new generation of producers and musicians currently “sell the thing and market the thing” in ways that some veterans struggle to grasp.

“Them feel like young musicians owe them something, or you’re supposed to listen to we because we older than you, or we do it [longer]. No. We [are in] a new time now. We do things differently now. You get me?”

“It’s not just you alone have the ears now. We have the ears to know. We make the impact now. We are bringing the records….So, you know, my thing is just with the younger artist, that’s [where] me feel more comfortable. You get me? Who willing [to] work together on a project,” Mac continued.

The producer reiterated that he doesn’t have a blanket ban on older artists. He confirmed an upcoming release featuring Charly Black and pointed to previous work with Spice and Aidonia as evidence that collaboration is possible when the “energy” is right.

A potential project with Sean Paul fell through, though Mac attributed it to bad timing rather than a clash of egos.

The WYFL riddim currently holds multiple positions on Jamaica’s streaming charts and continues to attract new versions. Vybz Kartel released an official track on the riddim titled SYM on Tuesday, while Mavado was spotted in the studio.

On Wednesday, Buju Banton shared a freestyle over the instrumental, recorded near a backyard pool.